stop getting junk mail

I’m not sure if this is ever a completely done deal, but we’ve taken the big steps. Opt out prescreen, the DMA, and we’ve submitted all the big name cats that are coming in to catalogchoice.org. Only one has agreed so far but hopefully the others will too. This is done for now and we’ll see if it needs to come back on the list in some future months.

I have so far called or emailed every place that has sent unwanted mail. I also went through the process to quit receiving preapproved credit offers. Next step, complete the DMA signup.

For a while, I had this under control. Post-Christmas the catalogs started rolling in along with a huge number of offers from frequent flyer/hotel guest clubs.

I will have to start ruthlessly calling and stopping these and maybe check my registration at direct mail etc.

It also seems like there is an increasing amount of “resident” type mail. I need to find out if there is any way to stop it.

I’m going to keep asking people to stop sending me mail and ads that I don’t want, but I don’t know if I will ever reach a point during which I get no junk mail anymore.

I think the best thing is to not ask the post office to forward mail when you move, have an un-listed phone number, and hope the mortgage company isn’t selling your address.

After a few years of doggedness on my part, my junk mail has pretty well dried up. Hooray!

I hope I never need anything from Expedia ever again. They have been sending me postcards that offered great rates on hotels within walking distance of my apartment… Air and three nights hotel would only be $525! I sent them an email, but after four non-answers [I’ve been taken off their emailing list twice, asked further questions about my reservation and told how to retrieve my password], I decided to just call this morning and see if that would get it settled. I’m currently on hold while the woman finds someone who can help her. [It took a while to explain to her that I was getting physical mail, even though I said I was getting postcards in the mail.]

Aha! If you have any saved “deals” that they email you about, you get postcards. I have no idea what deals I was saving, but these folks never get my mailing address again. Never ever.

I recently discovered that a lot of the “hey homeowner!” flyers I get come from mailing lists generated off of places like propertyshark.com. They don’t have an easy way to get off their list, but they did email me back with instructions, and I thought I’d share them…

Thank you for contacting PropertyShark.

Although an individual’s property ownership, property tax, and sale information are widely available to the general public through your local county government, we do respect your right to privacy and have a policy of hiding data upon request by individual home owners. To do so, we will need additional information sent to us by mail:

1. A signed statement that you are the current owner of the address listed on our website and that it is your primary residence or single family home.

2. The street address and assessor’s id number (in NYC, this is the BBL); please include the unit number if applicable.

3. A copy of valid ID with photo showing your property address.

We will then do our best to hide this information from display on the web. Please note that any such changes might not be permanent as we refresh our ownership data periodically.

Please send the above to:
181 N. 11th Street, Suite 307
Brooklyn, NY 11211

...if you know another property search site that lets realtors make mailing lists, please send me their way. I’ll even look up their removal policies for you and post it here.

Of course, no matter how often I beat the beast with many heads back, I still end up with junk mail. I’ve let it pile up lately, so I spent a little bit today going through things.

Helio turned out to be really good at apologizing. They offered to take the flyer back and recycle it for me. I’m taking them up on that.

Of all people, the NRDC sent me a mailer! You’d think environmentalists would know better! At least it wasn’t an anti- old growth issue.

City Scoops is my latest scourge. They’re a “magazine” that is just an excuse for advertising. I asked them a few months ago to take me off their mailing list and just emailed them again with another request, which I ended with a threat to file Form 1500 against them. Here’s the odd thing… there’s no address on the mailer. I guess they instruct the post office to stuff them into as many mailboxes as possible. Still, I am going to file it if I don’t get a response from them this time, if only so I’ll have filed one.

Direct Mailings:
I didn’t want to do the catch all DirectMail.com optout so I called individual businesses that mailed me things

Companies I do business with:
Called them all individually and asked to get off their lists. No problem there.

Credit Cards:
The opt-out number works, but it does take a bit before the credit offers stop. You should see them drop off after a couple weeks.

Bad bad Helio! They have lovely hold music but…

1. they sent me junk mail…
2. that was a non-recyclable plastic flyer…
3. when I’m on multiple Do-Not-Mail lists…
4. When I called their 1-888 number, they couldn’t take me off their list, since the company itself didn’t mail it out and instead they…
5. gave me the number of several stores to call to find who had sent it to me, and no one answered the phone at any of them, not even a machine…

ARG! It’s a lovely flyer, but I’m glad I haven’t given up plastic. Plus, after the nice run-around they’ve given me, I’m glad I don’t own any of their products.